The Snowball Fight
by Girl with the Dragon Heart
Summary: Zuko goes to the South Pole for meetings, but finds a little fun isn't so bad.


_None of these characters are mine. I'm sure this has been done before and I'm beating a dead ostrich horse, but I just wanted to write a little fluff._

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The hairs on Zuko's neck prickled from the feeling of eyes on him. Adrenaline pumped through his body as he scanned the frozen tundra for his stalker. _I'm not going to be caught off-guard like the last_ – a missile of loose snow the size of a fist explodes on the right side of his face and hears a feminine laugh chime through the crisp air. He raises a hand to wipe the snow from his face and jacket, but snow still slides down inside his collar.

Had he known the trade agreement talks at the South Pole would have been this much, well, _fun_, he wouldn't have put up as much resistance when his uncle arrived at the palace to force him to the talks. "Fire Lord Zuko, these talks are of great importance to the Fire Nation. Your paperwork and advisors can take care of themselves for a few weeks."

His Uncle was right – he had been Fire Lord for three years, and he hadn't left other than to make state visits in the colonies. The precarious government was stable enough for the time being to be left alone for a month. This visit, which he suspected had been orchestrated as a reunion for their group, felt more like a vacation than serious business.

The blue of Katara's parka darted along the ridge, but was out of sight within seconds. This juvenile fun was her idea – she had convinced her father to delay the beginning of the talks by one day so the friends could catch up before business started. "If everybody is more relaxed before the talks," she reasoned, "everybody will be happier during and with the outcome."

Zuko knew that she did it more for him – she was the only person who heard him cry out when the night terrors came. The dreams of his father and Azula were getting worse. Maybe his uncle was right; the stress of leading a nation that had lost the war machine identity that had kept it running for the past century was insurmountable. This night before, he dreamt of the battle in coronation plaza again. This time he hadn't been able to dive fast enough for Katara and the lightning hit her directly. He realized as she shook him awake that he had been calling out her name. He hoped nobody else had heard, but she was there soothing him with cool water to his head as he buried his head in her chest.

Looking back on the whole episode, he was a little embarrassed. She had stayed with him until he fell back asleep, making soothing noises and using her healing to lessen the headache that was growing. When he woke up that morning, he was both relieved and slightly disappointed to find she had left.

The little crush that had started when he helped her face Yon Rha had not gone anywhere in three years. He tried desperately to talk himself out of it, and it was easier when she wasn't around. On the trip south, his uncle had filled him in on the latest gossip from his friends, and seemed especially delighted to tell Zuko that Aang and Katara had ended their romantic relationship a year before. Zuko did his best to school his face, but he couldn't help how his heart pounded a little heavier or his palms grew a little damp.

The talks on that particular day ended at noon to allow the participants to socialize. Katara had suggested a nice non-bending snowball fight to help ease his tension. Aang stayed in to keep Toph company. Zuko felt for her – at least in the Fire Nation they had land that she could use her earth bending senses. Here, there were just sheets and layers of ice and she was completely blind. Sokka had also stayed behind to smoke and swap stories with the Water Tribe elders.

He wished once again for his white North Pole ensemble as he felt the stalking presence again. This time he spotted her light blue coat to his left. He wondered how he could get out of getting hit this time and decided a full-frontal attack was best. Katara was forming a new snowball with her hands – _no bending allowed_ – and was startled when she looked up and saw him charging at her like an angry komodo rhino. She let out a squeak and abandoned the snow ball in favor of retreating, but he had the element of surprise. Zuko knocked her off her feet, sending them both tumbling down the slope. She landed on top of his chest with an oomph and laughed gaily again. Her laughter was contagious and he felt lighter than he had in over a year. The lightness went to his head and he reached up and pecked a kiss at the corner of her smile. When he pulled away , her eyes were wide and startled. A gloved hand flew up to where he had kissed her, and he felt stupid. He opened his mouth to apologize, but before anything came out, she leaned in toward him. His throat went dry, and they just lay there for a minute, sharing the breath between them. She smiled warmly and then her lips were gently moving on his.

Even with the snow that had slipped into his collar seeping into his inner layers and the mounds of snow around them, he felt warmer in the waning daylight. He was certain that the night terrors would stay away that night.

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_Edit 3/11/15: Added a few more details. It's still fluffy and mindless, but I like it a little better._


End file.
